Alhambra. Earthly paradise
Behind the Wine Gate (Puerta del Vino), the Plaza de los Alhibes opens up, where everything is imbued with the sensual charm of the Alhambra. Behind this square is the entrance to the complex of palaces of the Nazari dynasty - the very heart of the Alhambra. According to the famous expert on Arab culture García Gomez, "The Alhambra is not only the most beautiful, it is the best preserved and most ancient of the ancient Arab palaces that have come down to us all over the world." The palaces of Nazari represent three independent monumental complexes: Mexoire, intended for the organs of justice, the Komares Palace, the official residence of the king, and the Lions Palace, where the Vladyka's private chambers were located.
El Mexoire
Mexoire was the place where the kings of Granada granted audience to their subjects. Here, according to the protocol, official legal acts were carried out. Mexoire was partially destroyed, and therefore now it does not look like the original palace, since, in addition to the redevelopment that took place during the reign of Yusuf I (1333-1354), later, after the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Kings, a Christian church was built here.
In the hall of Mexoire, the basement panels are remarkable, decorated with tiles with the motto of the Nasrid dynasty: "There is no conqueror but Allah." In the back of the hall there is a belvedere-oratorium, from the balconies of which you can see a beautiful view of the Albayzin. It is richly decorated in Arabic script with sayings from the Koran and words of praise in honor of Mohammad V (1354-1391). It was this lord who gave the order for the construction of a neighboring room - the Golden Room (Cuarto Dorado), connecting Mexoire with the Comares palace. The three-arch portico of the Golden Room overlooks the Patio del Mexuar courtyard, distinguished by the rich decoration of the so-called Comares façade.
Komares palace
The grand residence in the Alhambra was the Komares Palace, and the now famous Myrtle courtyard served as its compositional center. This name was adopted only in the 17th century, and it came from a rectangular reservoir, which occupies most of the courtyard and is lined with trimmed myrtle trees on the long sides. Reflecting in its shaky refraction the golden-pink Komares Tower (its height is 45 meters), towering on the north side of the courtyard, and the blue sky, the reservoir expands the space of the courtyard and creates a feeling of spaciousness.
In the tower of Comares, the entire space is occupied by the magnificent square Throne Room (or the Hall of Ambassadors), in which the throne of the rulers of Granada towered directly opposite the entrance. This hall, erected in the XIV century, is the largest in the Alhambra: its dimensions are 11.3x11.3x18.2 meters. At the floor level, there are 9 large arched windows, three of which are divided in the center by marble columns.
The thickness of the walls of the Hall of Ambassadors reaches 3 meters, so each of the windows forms an independent, richly decorated room - like a loggia. The windows-loggias give a poetic intimacy to the ceremonial hall of the Alhambra, from which the Granada rulers observed pictures of peaceful life and the wonderful nature of Granada.
In creating the Hall of Ambassadors, skilful Moorish architects have shown their talent for manipulating light, directing it through the intricate carvings of windows that were previously covered with colored glass. Light falls on the sparkling walls, illuminating the entire hall with a penetrating, shimmering radiance. Soft light comes not only from the lower windows, but also from the 20 upper ones, which are covered with grilles. Above, the shadows thicken, but even they cannot hide the inspired creation of the Arab masters - the famous cedar wood ceiling. It is bordered by a stalactite frieze and consists of 3 inclined planes tapering upwards, terminating in the center with a small stalactite dome.
The Hall of Ambassadors is not only the largest, but also the most historic hall in the Alhambra. True, not all scientists are completely sure that it was in it that some real events took place. For example, legends say that in this room Queen Isabella received Christopher Columbus and here Sultan Boabdil surrendered Granada to the Catholic kings of Spain.
In contrast to the open and illuminated space of the Myrtle Courtyard, the shaded arched passage in the Komares Tower attracts with a mysterious, cool semi-darkness. The entrance to the tower is preceded by a long, narrow "Hall la Barca" - the Hall of the Boat. Some researchers explain this name by the similarity of the painting on the ceiling of the hall with the keel of a ship. However, the Spanish writer Carlos Pascual deduces the etymology of the word "barca" from the Arabic "baraka" - "blessing, grace", and this seems to be the most plausible.
Komares Palace is closely adjacent to the Lion's Courtyard, which is a type of palace garden building. Here the private life of the Granada caliphs proceeded, which gave it a chamber, intimate character.
The entire building of the palace-garden dates back to the second half of the 14th century. In the center of a small open courtyard, there is a fountain surrounded by twelve lion figures, which is why the name of the entire courtyard later came about. Lions, carved from some special semi-precious marble, are arranged like the rays of a star.
The number of lions is no coincidence. According to legend, 12 lions supported the throne of King Solomon, and Sultan Muhammad al-Ghani was told about this by his vizier Ibn Nagrell, a Jew by birth. He also advised the Sultan to decorate the fountain with figures of lions, which were brought to the Alhambra from the old palace in Albuyein. Meticulous researchers also refer this story to legends, since lions at the fountain allegedly appeared only in the 16th century - after the fall of Granada. But no matter how historians and art critics argue, they agree on one thing: silence itself lives in the Lion's courtyard, broken only by the murmur of water jets, to the patterns of which ornament patterns are added.
Water, which came in abundance from the mountain slopes of the Sierra Nevada, filled the streams, gardens and fountains of the Alhambra and was the element that the Moors prized most of all. For the Arabs, fountains, streams and waterfalls are no less a characteristic part of architecture than columns are for the Greeks. It is no coincidence that the inscription on the fountain in the Lion's Courtyard is preserved: "Look at the water and look at the reservoir, and you will not be able to decide whether the water is calm or marble is flowing."
On the western side of the Lion's Courtyard is the "Hall of Stalactites", which was named so because of the lacy decoration of the ceiling. Unfortunately, this ceiling was destroyed at the end of the 16th century during a fire, and in 1614 it was replaced with an elliptical covering.
On the northern side of the Lion's Courtyard is the vast "Hall of the Two Sisters", in which at first two Christian sisters languished and then died, separated from their beloved. This square room is one of the most perfect in the Alhambra: it is distinguished by magnificent ornamental decoration, creating which Arab masters skillfully played on the cold shine of tiles, the warmth and nobility of wood and the plasticity of a matte knock. The moldings of this hall have triumphed over time and achieved their perfection here: no tile is like another in these carved honeycombs. The presence of beauty in the Hall of Two Sisters is felt so strongly, as if she only settled here yesterday ...
Opposite this hall is the Abenserhave Hall, where visitors enter with involuntary trepidation. In 1482, as legend has it, bloody murders took place here. To free his son the way to the throne, his father summoned 36 more claimants to the throne to the Alhambra. They were met in this hall by the executioner who was already waiting and cut everyone's throats. They say that even now, after almost 6 centuries, blood stains can be seen in the hall.
When the last ruler of Granada, Boabdil (Muhammad XI), surrendered the city to the royal couple Ferdinand and Isabella, he and his family fled to the mountains. He is said to have stopped at one of the sites now known as El Suspiro del Moro (The Moor's Wail). From here he could see the entire Alhambra.
When he looked at his famous red castle with a farewell gaze, his mother said to him: "Mourn, like a woman, what you could not protect like a man!"
Today, about three million tourists visit the Alhambra every year. They, like Boabdil, can observe the entire panorama of Granada from the hill on which rises the Arab castle - the pearl of Granada. If you ever visit here, then perhaps you will understand why the last Moorish ruler groaned so bitterly.
This post was difficult to write. And I had to, as my brother says, "shove in the unproductive," make a sample of 500 frames and write some kind of minimal text, and not a scientific study on the topic "The Alhambra as it is."
So on November 4, early in the morning, i.e. at about 9 o'clock in the morning, we plunged into the ordered taxi and went to the main attraction of Granada - the Alhambra, a majestic architectural and park ensemble, which includes ancient palaces, a fortress and gardens of Muslim rulers and is considered the highest achievement of Moorish architects in Western Europe.
The Alhambra can be reached in four ways:
1) the easiest one is to order a taxi (it cost us 7.50 European money for two)
2) take a minibus on route 30, departing from Cathedral(cost 1.80 money for one soul, or rather a body)
3) drive your (removed) car (the cost of gasoline and a kilometer of your nerve fibers and cells that are not restored and which you will start to spend tangled up in one-way, narrow streets (and you will certainly become entangled).
4) go on foot - it's not worth the money, but from 30 minutes to infinity of time you will spend on it (depending on where you are going to go). It should be noted here that choosing this method of transporting yourself to the Alhambra, you need to take into account that you will have to go up a rather steep hill and the climb can become tedious, especially in summer. And in the Alhambra itself you still have to walk and walk.
Some guidebooks say that it takes 3 hours to see the Alhambra. I don't know how you can do everything in 3 hours, probably only if you jump at a fast gallop. We were there for almost 6 hours and not all went around and looked.
And one more important note. Due to the fact that the Alhambra has a capacity of 8,800 people per day, all guidebooks recommend booking entrance tickets in advance. The site for ordering and phone numbers are in Google without any problems, as well as written in the same guidebooks. We knew this, but not having a clear trip plan (we decided how we would go, so we would go) did not know what day we would be in Granada, and therefore we did not order tickets in advance, hoping that November was far from the height of the tourist season and those who wanted to visit the Red Fortress (this is how the Alhambra is translated from Arabic), there will not be 8,800 people, but a little less, and we will buy tickets on the spot.
True, the night before, I read the reviews of the same gouging tourists who could not buy a ticket on the spot. And the taxi driver, who was taking us to the fortress, asked, “have we ordered tickets?”, And was very surprised when he heard a negative answer. So, on the way to the fortress, I was somewhat worried, and Lida was not at all worried, but discussed with the taxi driver the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. Their dialogue was very entertaining, because it was based on ten Spanish words that Lida knew and five English words that the taxi driver knew.
So we got to the ticket offices, which had very few people, bought tickets without hindrance and briskly galloped to the palaces of the Nasrid. There is another feature that must be taken into account when visiting the Alhambra - it is not enough to get a ticket at the box office and go to the territory of the complex. You also need to pay attention to the time of entrance to the palaces of the Nasrid. This time is printed on the ticket and you can enter the palaces within half an hour from the appointed time. All guidebooks also speak about this.
We arrived at the Alhambra at about 9:30 am. The entrance to the palaces was scheduled for 10:00, but not carefully looking at the map
missed the right turn and went the other way, and when we got our bearings and realized that we realized that we were going in the wrong direction, we had to turn around and rather briskly run to the palace.
Naturally, I was photographing something on the run, but without going into details of what I was shooting.
After 15 minutes of brisk walking, at exactly 10:00, we got up in the tail of an approximately 150-meter queue to the Nasrid palaces.
So - "Alhambra (Spanish Alhambra, from Arabic. the reign of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty (1230-1492), under which Granada became the capital of the Emirate of Granada on the Iberian Peninsula, and the Alhambra became their residence (the surviving palaces date from the 14th century). mosques, dwelling houses, baths, gardens, warehouses, cemetery. At present it is a museum of Islamic architecture. "
While we stood in line looked at the palace of Carlos 5th. Built very close to the Nasrid Palace. We only looked at this palace from the outside, did not go inside. Now it houses the Granada Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada), the Alhambra Museum (Museo de la Alhambra), the Museum of Islamic Art, which displays mainly archaeological finds made in the Alhambra itself. This is the only object where we did not go out of all those where we could go. Just by the end of the day, there was no longer any physical or moral strength.
Opposite the palace of Carlos, the walls of the Alcazaba are the citadel of the Alhambra where the first fortifications were built.
And here is our goal for this moment- the Nasrid Palace. From the outside it looks very modest and unremarkable.
And here we are at the entrance.
Now a little digression. Granada was the last stronghold of the "Arab resistance". And it was here in the Alhambra that it was decided to build a royal residence after the displacement of the Arabs from the Pyrenean Peninsula. The Mauritanian complex organically blended into the architectural ensemble of the new Imperial Palace(the palace of Carlos 5th) and thus the masterpiece of Moorish architecture was saved from destruction. True, not everything survived. Of the seven palaces, only three have survived to this day - Mejuar, Komares and the Lviv Palace. But even by them one can judge with what luxury and splendor the last owners of the Alhambra surrounded themselves in the era of Moorish decadence.
And the first palace we got to was Mejouar.
Mexuar. The oldest part of the complex, noticeably rebuilt after the Christian conquest. The name comes from the Arabic word maswar - the place where the shura, that is, the council of ministers, gathers.
And the first hall is the Hall of Meschuar (Sala del Mexuar). In the center of the hall, a patterned, inlaid wooden ceiling from Christian times is supported by four columns with Mosarabian consoles. The ceiling was made in the 16th century, before that there was a skylight in its center (there were no side windows). The upper part of the walls is decorated with plaster ornaments, the lower one is decorated with tiles, which are interspersed with panels depicting the coats of arms of Charles V, the Mendoza family, the Pillars of Hercules, etc. During the Christian period it served as a chapel.
Chapel (Oratorio). A small room adjoining Meshouar, from where you can see the Albaycín (one of the oldest Aribal quarters of Granada). The walls are covered with quotes from the Koran and praises of Muhammad V.
view of Albjacin
In the eastern part there is a mihrab - a niche in the wall pointing to Mecca (so that the worshipers do not accidentally make a mistake in which direction to pray).
In 1590 an explosion took place here; in 1917 the room was restored.
Then we moved to the Patio del Mexuar, or the Patio del Cuarto Dorado. Located between Mejuar and the Comares Palace. Here we stopped to let the big crowd of "organized" tourists pass and not to step on their heels, but at the same time to admire such beauty.
well, I am under these arches in the crowd of tourists.
It also houses the "Golden Chamber" - the last hall in the Mejouar palace, so named because of the gilding on the original artesonade ceiling. Its finest carving, restored during the time of the Catholic kings, in addition to the Aarabs, also carries Gothic motives.
The crowd of tourists has thinned out a little and in front of us is the Facade of the Komares Palace, restored in the 19th century. “Created to commemorate the capture of the city of Algesiras by Muhamed 5 in 1369, it was conceived as an Arc de Triomphe, as evidenced by the inscription and the façade uncharacteristic of Islamic architecture with two separate entrances.
The Comares Palace (Palacio de Comares) was the official residence of the emir. Built in the middle of the XIV century. under Yusuf I and his son Muhammad V. Different versions have been expressed about the origin of his name; perhaps it comes from the Arabic "gamariya" - that was the name of the colored stained-glass windows in the windows of the main hall of his tallest tower, also called the Komares tower.
We enter it and first we go along the corridors
and soon we find ourselves in the Myrtle courtyard.
"Myrtle courtyard (Patio de los Arrayanes). The center of the composition of the entire palace, almost the most famous place of the Alhambra. In the middle of the courtyard there is a marble reservoir measuring 34 × 7.1 m, where water is supplied from two fountains on the short sides of a rectangle, behind which the courtyard is also called The patio of the pond (Patio del Estanque, Patio de la Alberca). On the long sides it is surrounded by a trimmed hedge of myrtle, on which the courtyard was named. On the north and south sides there are open porticoes, each with seven semicircular arches with openwork carvings and columns, with square-section capitals (the central arch is higher than all the others) .On their walls, on top of the tiles laid already under Christians at the end of the 16th century, there are Arabic inscriptions praising the emir, in particular, the verses of Ibn Zamrak, the minister of Muhammad V. At the ends of the porticoes there are richly decorated niches where vases with flowers or oil lamps were placed. On the long sides of the courtyard there are richly decorated entrances to the women's chambers. "
he's on the other side.
walls and arches
We look into the Boat Hall (Sala de la Barca). "An elongated rectangular hall with an entrance from the northern portico of the Myrtle courtyard, which connects it with the Komares tower. According to various versions, its name comes from either a cylindrical vault resembling an inverted boat, or from a distorted Arabic al-baraka - a blessing (this word is often found among arabesques on the walls). The walls are covered with plaster moldings, tiles at the bottom. "
And from it we get to the Komares Tower and the amazingly beautiful Ambassador Hall. (Salón de Embajadores), "18.2 m high, the most majestic hall of the Alhambra. The floor there is tiled, in the middle is the coat of arms of the Alamar family (XVI century). In three walls, in addition to the entrance, very thick (2.5 m thick), niches are made with three arches inward and a window outward.Windows, covered with patterned lattices, go along the second tier.All walls, niches, arches, passages are abundantly filled with inscriptions, carvings and stuccoes.Extremely richly decorated wooden inlaid ceiling, symbolically depicting the seven heavens of Muslim paradise with the throne of Allah in the middle; the ceiling is surrounded by a stalactite frieze. winter bedroom emir, and from there there was an exit to the terrace. "
I am against the background of "thick walls with niches". The backpack is on the belly for a reason, but on the insistent recommendation of the caretakers. Apparently, pickpockets have plenty of space here.
my hand is here for scale. To make it easier to appreciate the subtlety of the plaster molding.
The next and last palace on our way is the Lviv Palace (Palacio de los Leones) - the private chambers of the emir. "Built in the XIV century. Under Muhammad V after he came to power; there is also a version that Muhammad built it as a palace, completely independent from the palace of Komares. The style of this building feels the influence of Christian art, apparently explained by the friendship of the emir with the Castilian king Pedro Cruel. "
The Lviv Palace was built on the principle of grouping premises around an open courtyard.
We entered there, as usual, with a huge crowd
But gradually the people scattered and it became possible to consider everything.
So, the Lions Court (Patio de los Leones). The central courtyard of the palace, surrounded by arched galleries along the perimeter, similar to the galleries of the Myrtle courtyard, but mostly with double columns, the total number of which is 124. Entrances to the apartments are predominantly highlighted by protruding porticoes. The surrounding houses are covered with gabled tiled roofs. In the middle of the courtyard is the Fountain of Lions (Fuente de los Leones), depicting twelve stylized lions holding a twelve-sided bowl on their backs. For a long time, there was a version that the figures of lions were made in the XI century. and come from the house of the vizier Shmuel ha-Nagid, and since he was a Jew, they allegedly symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel. However, during the restoration of the fountain at the beginning of the XXI century. it turned out that both the lions and the bowl were made during the construction of the palace, that is, in the second half of the XIV century. The bowl is also decorated with verses by Ibn Zamrak.
Hall of Stalactites (Sala de los Mocárabes). Served as a lobby for the entrance to the palace. It owes its name to the ceiling of muqarnas (Cell vault, muqarnas, muqarnases (Spanish muqarnas, Arabic مقرنص), stalactites are a characteristic element of traditional Arab and Persian architecture; a kind of folded vault made of closed partitioned folds in the form of rhombic faceted hollows-hexagons, pyramidal depressions similar to wax honeycombs or stalactites), badly damaged by the explosion of a powder magazine in 1590 and replaced; from 1863 the remains of the original ceiling can be seen. It is framed along the ceiling with a rich plaster stucco frieze with the inscriptions and mottos of the Nasrid. It has three arched entrances to the Lion's Courtyard.
mukarnas. They are everywhere in the Lviv Palace.
Hall of Abenserraches (Sala de los Abencerrajes). "Located in the building on the south side of the Lion's courtyard. It owes its name to the legend, according to which 37 representatives of the noble family of Abencerrajs were killed here during the festival after being denounced by a hostile family: allegedly one of the Abenserraches was close to the sultan's wife The rusty spots in the dodecagonal central fountain are associated with their blood. The most noticeable thing in this room is the star-shaped dome, consisting of muqarnas, with windows giving soft light. The walls are decorated with plaster moldings, the lower tiles are decorated with tiles from the 16th century. "
opposite a similar hall - the Hall of the Two Sisters (Sala de las Dos Hermanas). The central room of the Sultana's quarters. It owes its name to two large marble floor slabs separated by a fountain. Especially expressive here is the octahedral dome with mukarnas, which rests on tromps, also covered with mukarnas. The walls are covered with the finest knock carvings, where you can see the mottos of the Nasrid.
Hall of the Kings (Sala de los Reyes). Closes the Lion's courtyard from the east. Perhaps it was a living room and a lounge. Divided by paired arches into three square sections
The central box, according to a special position, was intended for the sultan and his entourage.
A few more pictures of the Lion's Courtyard and move on.
We pass through the hall of the Two Sisters and find ourselves in the Mirador de Daraxa. Covered balcony of the Hall of the Two Sisters overlooking the Patio de Lindaraja. The first in the suite of rooms in the harem. The name is from the distorted Arabic "I-ain-dar-aisha" ("The eyes of the sultana"). It has low-lying windows (based on those sitting on the floor), the central one is double arched, the side windows are single. Initially, before the construction of Charles V's chambers, it overlooked the valley of the Darro River (now the gaze rests on the blank wall of the gallery). Plaster moldings with poems by Ibn Zamrak, black-white-yellow tiled base, coffered ceiling.
the windows overlook the courtyard of Lindarahi
one more mechouir
We pass through the gallery built under Carlos 5th. From above we look at the Courtyard of the Lattice (Patio de la Reja), or Cypress (Patio de los Cipreses). Created between the wall, the building of the baths and the chambers of Charles V at the same time when the latter were being built; got its name from the lattice of the balcony on the south wall, made in 1654-1655 for the passage between the palace of Komares and the chambers of the emperor. In the middle there is a marble fountain, in four corners there are century-old cypresses.
The lattice, or rather the unremarkable handrail, are visible in this window
The roofs of the baths are also visible from the gallery.
And on the other side to the ancient fortress wall of Granada
neighborhoods of Granada
one of the towers
We go down and find ourselves in the courtyard of Lindarahi
And so we leave the Nasrid Palaces
But while we are walking in the park next to the Portal, we look at the palaces from the outside. As I said, the outer walls do not in any way speak of the inner splendor.
As I said, we went out to Parthal.
The name "Partal" (Partal, from the Arabic word meaning "portico") is the zone to the east of the Nasrid Palace. Sometimes it is called the courtyard of the Fig Tree (Patio de la Higuera). A significant part of it was previously the Palace of Partal (Palacio del Partal), or the Palace of Portico (Palacio del Pórtico), built earlier than the Nasrid palaces - at the beginning of the XIV century, under Muhammad III. Very little remains of this palace; the largest of its buildings is the Dam Tower (Torre de las Damas),
Its portico, with five arched entrances, opens out to a rectangular reservoir, like in other palaces. At the top is a turret (mirador), from where you can see the Darro Valley, as well as from the lower square hall. According to legend, it was from this tower that the future emir Boabdil fled to his rebellious supporters.
We huddle a little in the gardens of Partal
We look at the Church of Santa Maria de la Alhambra (Iglesia de Santa María de la Alhambra). Built in 1581-1618. on the site of the Great Mosque according to the plans of Juan de Herrera and Juan de Orea by the architect Ambrosio de Vico, who somewhat simplified them. It has the shape of a Latin cross.
We walked past the walls of the palace of Carlos
We go towards the Alcazaba
We pass through the Wine gate. According to the generally accepted opinion, since 1554, a tax-free wine trade was carried out under these gates, hence their name.
Alkazaba (from the Arabic word al-kasba, meaning "fortress") - the citadel of the Alhambra; it was here that the first fortifications were built. The Alcazaba has 9 towers connected by several-level fortress walls.
I will not list the names of all the towers.
"Plaza de Armas, the space between the walls of the Alcazaba. Here are the foundations of the houses where the garrison lived and the population serving it, the remains of a water cistern and the entrance to the underground prison is visible."
I don't know where the entrance to the prison is, but the nucleoli are good!
Adarve, the sentinel path on the north face. And the highest one is also visible - the Watchtower (Torre de la Vela), the highest tower of the citadel (about 27 m high), square in plan, four-story. It was on it in 1492 that the conquerors raised the flag of the Order of Santiago and the royal banners. Later it was used as a dwelling (until the middle of the 20th century, members of the War Invalids Corps lived here, ringing the bell on holidays). It had teeth, but in 1522 they were destroyed by an earthquake. The bell was installed in 1492 (which is why it was also called the Bell Tower, Torre de la Campana), but the current belfry dates back to 1840 (in 1882 it was destroyed by lightning and restored).
We naturally climbed on it (oh my poor knees) but the views were worth it.
Rooftops of granada
Cathedral
View of the Alhambra hotel (not of historical value, but picturesque.
The fortress walls of the Alhambra (Lida is set for scale).
Under the walls, already in the Christian era, a small park was laid out.
In this park we leave the Alcazaba, we pass the gardens of Partala
What these two are doing remains a mystery to us.
we go by the dwellings of the Arab nobles
The path leads to this snow-white palace on a nearby hill.
This is the Generalife - the former summer residence of the emirs, located to the east of the fortress itself and connected to it by several roads. The complex includes a palace, gardens and a number of other structures.
First, we walked through the "Lower Gardens", which were laid out here in 1931 and historical significance not having, but no less beautiful from this.
The gardens are beautiful in themselves, and they also offer absolutely stunning views of the Alhambra.
And the scent of flowers around.
The Generalife Palace (Palacio del Generalife) was built in the XIII century. and rebuilt in 1319.
Its façade is deliberately simple and modest, contrasting with the rich interior in the style of the palaces of the Alhambra.
The strongest impression in it is made by the Patio de la Acequia, through which the same canal passed, the traces of which are visible in the Alhambra; here it is framed by two rows of water jets, and flowers, bushes and trees are planted along the banks.
It leads to the observation deck (mirador), which offers a beautiful view of the city.
So named after a lonely dry gigantic cypress tree. Otherwise, it was called the Court of the Sultana, for here, according to legend, secret meetings of the Sultan's wife with one of the Abenserrahs took place, which cost the life of a whole family of nobles. (killed in the hall of the same name in the Palace of Lions).
here are a couple more views of the cypress
I don't remember what this window refers to - I just really liked it.
In the 19th century, a little higher on the slope, the "upper gardens" are laid out
And in 1836, the Mirador Romántico was built in a neo-Gothic style that contrasts with the rest of the buildings.
Climbing there, you can see the following pictures.
Like that window, I also liked this tower, but I won't say that. I can only say that it was the last building we looked at in the Alhambra.
After that, along a shady forest with cunningly shaped trees, we went to the gate and on that our six-hour walk along the Alhambra ended.
We went down to the city by minibus, which I wrote about at the beginning of the post, and what we saw in the afternoon, I will tell you in the next post (for this, I think, there is enough information).
Granada(Granada) - city and municipality in Spain, capital of the province of Granada within the autonomous community Andalusia.
In this post, materials on attractions such asAlhambra, quarter Albassin, Sierra Nevada, panorama of Granada from the Albassin quarter, panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra, on shopping streets of the city, g raffiti in granada and many others. E is the same T uristic maps of Granada ... In fact, this is only a small part of what was captured, in fact there are photographs and what could be told - much more, but all this is better, as the saying goes, "to see than to hear a hundred times."
01.
GENERAL INFORMATION.
Granada has been known as the Iberian and Phoenician settlement of Iliberra since 500 BC. NS. Thanks to the sheltered location among the surrounding mountains and the very fertile land, the existence of villages here is assumed even in deeper antiquity. After the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans, the existence of a settlement under the name of Iliberra was proved in writing. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the region fell under the influence of the North African state of the Vandals, after its collapse in 534 for several decades under the rule of Byzantium. From the beginning of the 7th century it belonged to the Iberian state of the Visigoths.
Granada (Granada) is located in an amazing area, at the foot of the northeastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. Granada sits on three hills that slope down into a valley where the Hanil River and its tributary Darro flow steadily. According to legend, it was these hills, which in appearance resemble an open pomegranate, gave the city its name - Granada ... Only in this city, landscapes of extraordinary beauty, buildings of ancient architecture and white quarters of new developments are surprisingly harmoniously combined. Granada is rightfully considered one of the the most beautiful cities the world. Its architecture, history and traditions, combined with an unusual natural landscape, attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.The history of Granada goes back to ancient times. Back in the 5th century. BC E. This area, inhabited by Iberian tribes, was quite famous. During the domination of the Roman Empire, the rich city of Iliberis was founded here, which included the village of Granata ( Granada).
After the conquest of the city by the Arabs, it began to rebuild. Two fortress centers appeared here, located on both banks of the Darro River.
The period of economic growth of Granada falls at a time when the rule of the Cordoba Caliphate was weakened, which marked the beginning of the influx of Muslims into the city from Valencia, Cordoba and Seville. In 1013 an independent Muslim state was founded in Granada.
Tourist cards Granada, which can be taken from any hotel there:
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Albassin Quarter (Albayzin, Albaicin, Albayzin).
Albacín is the old Arab quarter of Granada. Perhaps there is no place in Andalusia where one can better imagine what the old Arab cities looked like. Its steep narrow streets running up and down the hillside form a real labyrinth - that is, that is))
General information about the quarter:
Albayzin quarter traces its roots to the ancient era, as evidenced by the remains of the fortress walls found here, which are the most ancient among the ruins excavated on the territory of Granada. We have not heard of any Arab settlements in the area until the arrival of the Syrians. This suggests that the city was empty after the collapse of the Roman Empire until the founding of the Syrian kingdom (1013), when it was surrounded by fortress walls (Alcazaba Kadina).
Today, in the Albayzin district, we see the 14th century fortress walls, which included all the newly built territories in the city. Since the 13th century, with the founding of the Nasrid kingdom, the administrative center of Granada moved to the Sabica hill, where the city of Alhambra was built. This did not at all mean the decline of Albayzin, which remained one of the most important and densely populated areas of Granada with narrow built-up streets, reservoirs and numerous mosques.
Today the area is one of the most attractive tourist destinations. Despite all the changes, it seemed to have frozen in time and isolated itself into a separate city inside Granada, with its atmosphere, structure and architecture that send us back to the past centuries. This is a place with a rich history, where a huge number of symbols of past eras have been preserved: Arab baths, aqueducts, reservoirs, Syrian arches and walls, churches in the style mudejar built on the basis of ancient mosques, Moorish, manor houses of the 16th century, which today have become museums, and unforgettable views of the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada. Albayzin is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Houses in the Albassin quarter.
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Houses in the Albassin quarter.
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Houses in the Albassin quarter.
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Panorama of Granada from the Albassin quarter.
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Panorama of Granada from the Albacín quarter.
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Panorama of Granada from the Albacín quarter.
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On shopping streets cities (near the cathedral (La Catedral) and at the bottom of the Albassin quarter):
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When I wandered through the souvenir shops on the streets near the cathedral ( La Catedral) heard very interesting, unusual music.
Nicolás Pirillo
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This music ( Nicolás Pirillo - Hang Drum a Granada):
and further ( Nicolás Pirillo - Hang - Granada):
Seafood in a mountain town))
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The Alhambra is an amazing, impressive place !!!
The visiting card of the city, of course, is the famous fortress Alhambra(Al-Kal "a al-Hambra -" Red Fortress ") - the only fully preserved monument of art of the Moors in Granada. Alhambra- this is not a palace, not a fortress or a park, but all together, or rather, it is a whole city on top of a mountain above Granada. In shape, it resembles a ship, which can be divided into several parts. On the bow of this ship is the oldest part of the Alhambra, an impregnable fortress Alcazaba (La Aicazaba). The middle part is also called the palace, here is located Nasrid Palace(Palacios de los Nazaries) and later Charles V palace(Palacio de Carton V). The "stern" of the ship is occupied by the so-called medina - the ruins of the city quarters that were once located here, as well as gardens, outbuildings and a parador in the building of a former monastery. In addition to all this, on the neighboring hill there are magnificent Generalife gardens(Jardines de Generalife) with the palace of the same name.
General information about the Alhambra:
Alhambra- a palace complex and a fortress, which were the residence of the king and his court during the reign of the Muslim dynasty of the Nasrid (in Spanish Nazari) on the territory of modern Granada. The Alhambra is one of the main attractions and a symbol not only of Andalusia, but of the whole of Spain.
The Alhambra occupies almost the entire al-Sabika hill, in the east of the city, opposite the Albayzin district. The Alhambra rises above the entire city, to the north of it flows the Darro River. The complex itself consists of a fortress - Alcazaba, palaces of the Nasrid dynasty (or Nazarii palaces), and the Generalife complex, which includes a palace and beautiful gardens.
In the westernmost part of the Alhambra, on the edge of a hill, is the oldest part of the complex - military fortress Alcazaba... The ancient Alcazaba was rebuilt in 889 by Savvar-ben-Hamdum, later it was expanded in the 11th century by the rulers of the Zirid dynasty. Two centuries later, Muhammad I, the founder of the Nasrid dynasty, annexed the palace to the Alcazaba, which marked the beginning of the foundation of the magnificent architectural complex of the Alhambra.
You can go to the fortress by going through the Wine Gate (Puerta del Vino) and further along the square of wells (Plaza del Aljibes). The name of the gate comes from the wine market, which has been located here since the 16th century.
Undoubtedly, the main attraction of the Alhambra is Palaces of the Nasrid(Palacios Nazaries). They are located in the immediate vicinity of the Palace of Charles V, to the north of it. The Nasrid palaces are one of the best preserved Old Islamic palaces in Europe. The palace complex includes three independent monumental ensembles: Mexuar, Palacio de Comares and Lviv Palace (Palacio de los Leones).
In the Muslim architecture of the Alhambra ensemble stands apart Palace of Charles V, built in the immediate vicinity of the Nasrid Palaces, in the 16th century after the conquest last stronghold Muslims - Granada, Catholic King Isabella and Ferdinand in 1492.
Charles V's palace was built inside the Alhambra by order of Charles I after his wedding to Isabella of Portugal in Seville in 1526. After the wedding, the couple settled in the Alhambra, where they wanted to build their own residence. The palace was erected in the heart of the Alhambra, and for its construction it was necessary to demolish the pavilion opposite the Tower of the Ambassadors. This fact, which has been the object of criticism more than once, should be understood within the framework of the situation in Spain in the 16th century: the palace of Charles I meant, rather, not the destruction of a part of the Alhambra, but a guarantee of its preservation. In those days, entire palaces built by conquered peoples were often demolished, so the admiration of the Christian kings for the beauty of the Alhambra saved it from complete destruction.
Since 1958, the palace of Charles V has housed Granada Museum of Fine Arts.
The Granada Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada) is located on the territory of the Alhambra within the walls of the Palace of Charles V. This is the main art gallery of the city. Opened in 1839 (and therefore the oldest art gallery in Spain), the museum moved to its current building only in 1958, before that it roamed various premises of the city, including the current building of the Archaeological Museum.
The collection of the museum is formed by ceramics, works of art originating from disbanded monasteries, as well as works by contemporary Granada artists. Two rooms are dedicated to Alonso Cano and his followers, and there is also a room dedicated to the 15th century, 17th century secular painting, and contemporary art. Musical performances are often held in the open courtyard of the museum.
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Myrtle courtyard.
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Myrtle courtyard.
The ceilings in the palaces of the Alhambra look like artificial stalactites.
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In the "lion's" yard.
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Lion's courtyard.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Panoramas of Granada, view from the Alhambra.
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Generalife Gardens.
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Generalife Gardens.
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In the gardens of the Generalife.
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Canal courtyard in Generalife.
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Graffiti in Granada, on the road to the Alhambra. The photo was taken early in the morning, it was still dark before the road to Seville. The graffiti is interesting, because at the last moment, they decided to capture it in a photograph.
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In general, this is a great place .. :))
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Sierra Nevada.
Sierra nevada(Spanish. Sierra nevada- "snow ridge") - mountain range in the south Iberian Peninsula, part of the Cordillera Betica. Located in Andalusia, Spain. The most high point- Mount Mulasen, 3478 m. Beautiful landscapes open to us from observation platforms.
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Mountain Lake.
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What he saw makes you think))
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General information about the Sierra Nevada:
Sierra nevada- this is mountain range in the Andalusian mountains in southern Spain (from the Spanish “sierra” -pila), the southernmost and highest on the Iberian Peninsula (Mulansen - 3478 m), now one of the best ski resorts.The mountain peaks here are covered with snow even in summer, and therefore the opportunity to swim in the ocean with a temperature of 22-25C or visit the gardens of Tenerife looks very good.
Sierra nevada located 37 kilometers from the city of Granada, the administrative center of the province Andalusia... Of course, these mountains are known primarily for winter sports - slalom, snowboarding, freestyle. Always at your service 45 tracks with a total length of 62 km with a vertical drop of up to 1200 m, where 23 lifts serve up to 32,000 people at the same time. 250 snow guns (13 low pressure and 237 high pressure) maintain a quality surface in any weather. The Sierra Nevada lifts are in the village Pradollano(the central part is at an altitude of 2,100 m), there is no need to travel far away. There are many hotels here, there are high-altitude hotels, from which to the entertainment of the center, the most important of which is the water and bath center, you have to get there either on skis, or on a special transport lift or by stairs. Try :). The Telekabina Hotel is located right in the funicular building. From January to March there is a "high" season, so you should think about tickets a couple of months before the trip.
Night skiing is exotic - there are two illuminated tracks: 3300 m (drop - 545 m) and 1100 m (drop - 295 m). Although the concept of a track is very conditional. In addition to very steep and therefore specially fenced slalom trails and smoothly ironed flat trails for beginners, similar to a pitch with a slope, the trail here is everything that the snowcat traveled along. So the off-piste descent is quite appropriate here. Tired of skis - take a snowboard, and the whole mountain will become your skating rink - after all, here, if you look from below, there are almost no “closed” areas (hidden from the rider's gaze) and unpredictable canopies - each has a non-extreme exit for beginners, trails without glacial cracks and almost without rocky heaps.
Professionals will love the new park, with a special snowboard track and half-pipe
... The quality of the tracks is the best in Europe ski resort chosen by the king of Spain Juan Carlos... The world alpine skiing championships (95 and 99 years) are held here. In addition to skiing, you can, for example, go hiking in places with beautiful views on tourist route La Losa, which leads to Masete and leads to Mirador Bentaniyas
(Mirador Observation Deck) from which, at an altitude of about 2,500 feet, you can see the seashore in the south and the Sierra Nevada in the east beyond the surrounding valleys. These places are called El Torcal... The walk will not be easy, it can be very hot or, on the contrary, it will suddenly rain down, but it is easy to cope with in a person in good physical shape. Or you can go to Granada to see the symbol of the city - Alhambra(a complex of the XIII century, consisting of fortresses with palaces and gardens), coupled with the Generalife gardens and the old gypsy quarter, where you can contemplate expensive Mercedes near the half-houses - half-caves.
The best time to travel is after December 7, because from 1 to 6 the Spaniards have a solid weekend, and crowds of vacationers stand in endless queues for the funicular. Extras are added by tourists from Portugal and other countries.
The King of Spain himself skates in the Sierra Nevada, and in 1996 the Alpine Ski World Championship was successfully held on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Since then, competitions of the European and world level have been held here annually.
Resort photos:
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On the way back from the resort - here is such a sign for motorists, warning of the danger of motorcycles from behind, which turned out to be true)))
If mainly the works of Arab architecture are striking in their monumentality, then the highlight of the Alhambra - on the contrary, lies in the details. This is not just a palace, as many call it - it is a monumental architectural complex striking in its beauty and splendor
This greatest monument to the Arab art of building in Andalusia was created here thanks to the Muslim Moors, under whose rule and influence Spain was for several centuries. At the sunset of their power, the Moorish decided to create a small paradise on the land of conquered Granada - the Alhambra palace-fortress
Translated from Arabic, “Alhambra” means “red” - perhaps it came from the color of the bricks from which the castle wall is laid, but there is also a more interesting version of the origin of the name of the Moorish architectural complex - Arab historians believe that the construction was carried out at night, by the light of torches, and such illumination gave the walls a reddish tint - hence the name "Alhambra" supposedly originated
The Alhambra is located at the top of the Assabika Valley, on the southeastern border of Granada. As in other Moorish palaces, in the Alhambra all the treasures are hidden inside, behind nothing outstanding, one might even say unsightly walls - after all, the facades of its buildings are not decorated with anything
The Alhambra is a vast complex of courtyards with gardens where fountains murmur and fish splash in pools. Each courtyard is surrounded by an arcade, behind which are richly decorated interiors - bedrooms, halls for feasts and receptions of ambassadors. The names of the courtyards speak for themselves, for example, if you enter a courtyard decorated with evergreen lint-free carpets, myrtle tapestries, you can guess that this is a “Myrtle courtyard”; an inner courtyard with a fountain, around which 12 stone lions are frozen - it is logically called "Lions Courtyard" or "Lion Courtyard"; another courtyard, with two huge slabs of white marble in the floor, is called the "Hall of the Two Sisters"
The architectural ensemble of the Alhambra is, in fact, a city on the territory of Granada. At the foot of the high fortress walls, gardens and pavilions, a mosque, a palace ensemble, an alcazaba (fortress), and a small medina (city) were erected
For official ceremonies and court celebrations, a special "Chamber of Ambassadors" was created here, the high dome of which is decorated with a star pattern
The architectural ensemble of the Alhambra is unique in the sense that it was built from short-lived materials - simple clay and alabaster! But the Arab architects of the XIV century even managed to create a real miracle from such materials, while subtly feeling the harmony and proportions of each element, playing with light and space
Feature Alhambra, as, indeed, of other Moorish palaces, is the carving on plaster, in which the Arab masters carved an openwork ornament in the form of an endlessly repeating Arabic patterned ligature
Also striking in their luxury are the arches, located absolutely symmetrically and somewhat reminiscent of giant stalactites
A few more examples of Moorish stucco carvings in the arches of the Alhambra
Water plays a very important role in the layout of the Alhambra, which was a great luxury for the Moors - the inhabitants of the sultry and arid desert. In the Alhambra, water was supposed to create coolness and delight the ear with its murmur. That is why the water in the Alhambra overflows in the spray of fountains, foams in cascades and rushes rapidly along the canals, filling ponds and reservoirs, and around the cypresses and oranges grow, flower beds bloom - and all this against the background of snow mountain peaks Sierra Nevada and pale blue skies. Rectangular pools, reflecting the vibrant blue of the Spanish sky, also expand the space and create a sense of spaciousness. The Moorish masters tried to make a kind of paradise on earth, because in the Qur'an, paradise is described in detail as a lush garden, teeming with water streams.
Once at the foot of the Alhambra, a green forest raged, against the background of which the architectural complex stood out with its bright colors, for which the Moorish poets in their works called it “a pearl in emeralds”. Time could not negatively affect the complex so that it ceased to be one of the best atypical examples of Mauritanian architecture in Europe.
After several centuries in a state of desolation, in the 19th century the complex was re-"opened" by European scientists and travelers, who undertook its reconstruction. Since 1984, the Alhambra has been part of World heritage UNESCO
Thanks to the very precise and miniature work of the Moorish craftsmen in the decoration of wood and stone elements of the Alhambra, such as arches, vaults, carved patterned windows, graceful columns and slender columns, as well as the skillful arrangement of courtyards and transitions between them, fountains, cascades, reservoirs and quaint floral ornaments - thanks to the synthesis of all of the above, many today consider the Alhambra the highest achievement of Moorish art in Western Europe
Today, the Alhambra is a museum of Islamic architecture and one of the most visited historic buildings in Spain.
- This is a fortress-castle from the time of the Moorish domination in Spain. The delightful architectural complex, after restoration in the 19th-20th centuries, was transformed into one of the most famous Spanish landmarks.
(Alhambra) is a masterpiece of Moorish architecture and attracts tourists from all over the world. More than two million travelers visit the oldest castle in Granada every year. 
History of the Alhambra in Granada
On the hill where the Alhambra in Granada is now located, stood an ancient, dilapidated fortress. It is mentioned for the first time in the annals in 889. Only in the XI century, the citadel was annexed to the medina - a quarter that was able to exist separately from the city during the blockade.
In 1238, Muhammad ibn Nasr, Caliph of Granada, chose the Alhambra as his residence. He ordered that the palace be fortified. This is how the Ommazha and Observation Towers appeared. The work was continued by his successors, Muhammad II and Muhammad III. During the reign of the Muslim emirs, the river direction around the hill underwent a change. And on the vacated territory, warehouse and bath rooms appeared, with the help of which it was possible to wait out the long blockade.
The Alhambra fortress became a real palace and a rich royal residence in the XIV century during the reign of Emir Yusuf I, and then his successor, Muhammad V. During their reign, they erected in Granada Lviv Palace, new gates and baths, and the walls were decorated with carved ornaments on plaster.
After the reconquest in 1492, Granada and the Iberian Peninsula were liberated from Moorish rule. And the Alhambra was already transformed by the representatives of the Spanish monarchy. In the 16th century, Charles V became the owner of a personal palace built on its territory - for which some of the original buildings were demolished. The Alhambra ensemble itself was also damaged, as many decorative elements were lost or deliberately destroyed.
The desire to exterminate Islam in the appearance of the palace led to the fact that even the decorative plaster was painted over. And one of the buildings was rebuilt into a palace with Italian features. The restoration of the Alhambra, left to collapse, began in the 19th century. But the result was not very successful.
In the next 60 years, the dynasty of architects J. Osorio was engaged in a kind of reconstruction of the Alhambra Palace in Granada. But much for the image of the castle was simply invented. Therefore, in the 20th century, the architect-restorer Leopoldo Balbas needed to correct the mistakes of his predecessors on the basis of a thorough study of historical documents.
What to see in the Alhambra
Today's Alhambra in Granada is an architectural and park complex with a fortress, palaces (which house museums) and gardens. The Alhambra is divided into several spaces corresponding to the stages of its transformation.
The oldest part of the Alhambra is the Alcazaba (name in Arabic for the reinforced city residence of the ruler) at first it was the abode of the first caliphs from the Nasrid clan. Then she served as a military citadel of the complex, and the caliphs settled in the newly built palace.
The towers remained intact in the Alcazaba:
- The Ruined and Honorable Towers that stand in front of the entrance of the fort.
- Broken tower, so named because of the crack that cut it from top to bottom. The cores lie in the middle niche of the building.
- Ommaja - the 26 m high tower partly served as a prison and food storage.
- The four-storey Watchtower tower with a height of 26.8 m. It is decorated with arches mounted on pylons. The bell on its western façade was restored after a lightning strike in 1882.
- Cubic and Semicircular, on which observation platforms are located.
The Alcazaba's Armory Square houses the grounds of the military barracks, the remains of a water tank, and the entrance to the underground prison.
The Nasrid Palace consists of three large complexes.
- Meshouar is a reception and court building.
- The Komares Palace is the government seat of the Caliph. The walls of the building are faced with tiles. Together with the filigree wall carvings, a wonderful atmosphere is created here. In the Myrtle Courtyard in the Nasrid Palace, a reservoir is equipped, bordered by a hedge of myrtle.
- The Lviv Palace with a lion's courtyard was the chambers of the Caliph Mohammed V. In the style of the building, features of Christian art are visible. The courtyard with a fountain, surrounded by 12 sculptures of the kings of the forests, is surrounded by arches with 124 pylons. The entrance hall to the Lviv Palace, the Hall of Stalactites and the luxurious texture of the castle walls with records from the Koran preserve the Moorish style of architecture. Hall of the Boat in the Lviv Palace - with walls decorated with stucco molding with the image of the emblem of the Nasrid. Mosarabian bowls and muqarnas (honeycomb vaults) are also used as decor. At the entrance to the Hall of Abenserrachs, there are two arches with a transition between them. The hall walls are decorated with arches and tiles in the Renaissance style, and the pylons are made of blue beams. Painted ceilings and a honeycomb vault add beauty to the space.
The building in the style of the Italian Renaissance took a long time to build and got its current look in the 20th century. The ground floor houses the Alhambra Museum, which displays artifacts found by archaeologists during excavations. The second floor of the castle is converted into the Granada Fine Arts Museum. The Temple of Santa Maria has been located near the Palace of Charles V since 1618, when its construction was completed on the site of the previous mosque. The castle has a Round Courtyard, its diameter is 30 meters.
Upper Alhambra in Granada
This part of the attraction mainly consists of gardens, planted where the city quarter once was. The gardens of Adarve, Partal and Generalife (the latter with the official country residence of the kings of the same name) are worth mentioning.
Useful information about the Alhambra
6 interesting features of the attraction
- Alhambra translated from Arabic means "red castle". According to some reports, this name is inspired by the similarity with the tonality of building clay, dried under the sun. According to another version, this name of the sight was given by the "red flames of torches" that illuminated the castle during the construction period.
- The names of the buildings of the Alhambra are also full of eloquence. Thus, the Hall of the Two Sisters received its designation as a result of 2-dimensional white marble slabs built into the floor.
- Poets of the Middle Ages presented the Alhambra in their works as an "emerald pearl", emphasizing its beauty in the green of forest plants, blue skies and snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountains.
- The first liturgy was held in the church of Santa Maria after the deliverance of the city from the Moors.
- The Hall of Abenserraches in the Palace of Lions in the middle has a marble sink with rust-like stains. According to legend, they arose soon after the guillotine of all the rulers from the Abenserrach dynasty.
- The Komares Tower behind the courtyard of Myrtle is the highest of its kind in the Alhambra. It reaches a height of 45 m.
The price includes a visit Alcazaba, Nasrid Palace and Upper Alhambra... A visit to the Palace of Charles V, the Alhambra Museum and the Muslim Bath is free for everyone.
Tickets to the Alhambra better to buy in advance... During the tourist season, tickets for the current and upcoming dates may not be available. The average time to visit the Alhambra is 3 hours.
When buying tickets, you must select the date and time of your visit. If you do not arrive at the appointed time, then the tickets will be lost, while the cost is not refundable... You can buy tickets online or see their availability on the official website: https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/
Other options for tickets to the Alhambra:
- Visiting the Alhambra without the Nasrid Palace: 7 euros
- Night visit to Nasrid Palaces: 8 euros
- Night visit to the Gardens and Generalife: 5 euros
- Visit to the Alhambra without the Nasrid Palace + Night visit to the Nasrid Palace: 14 euros (for two consecutive days)
- Visit to the Alhambra + Rodriguez Acosta Foundation: 17 euros
How to get to the Alhambra:
- Walking distance from Plaza Nueva along the historic beautiful streets (about 1150 m to the entrance to the Alhambra)
- Walking from the slope Cuesta del Rey Chico between the walls of the citadel and beautiful panoramas
(about 860 m to the entrance to the Alhambra) - By bus: line C30, C32, C35
- By car: via the Ronda Sur (A-395) of the city, as private transport is prohibited from accessing the Alhambra from the city center
